Untainted Souls 3: Back to the Outlands
by DarkEcoOttsel
Summary: Book 3 in the US series. Memories kept the hyenas away from the Pride Lands and the Outlands. The hyenas decide to return to the Outlands, but will they be able to rebuild what was lost—including the peace between lion and hyena? Chap 6 up.
1. Chapter One

DarkEcoOttsel: Yee-haw! I'm back with the third story to my series. IT'S NO LONGER A TRILOGY SINCE I'M GONNA MAKE A FOURTH ONE!! Ahem. Any who, Sorry for the long wait, but my internet's so screwed up. Hope you enjoy the new story! 

Summary: Memories kept the hyenas away from the Pride Lands and the Outlands. The hyenas decide to return to the Outlands, but will they be able to rebuild what was lost—including the peace between lion and hyena? Rated PG for mild language. Drama/Romance.

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**Untainted Souls 3: Back to the Outlands**

**By: DarkEcoOttsel**

Chapter One

Six months passed since the battle at Pride Rock. The hyenas had moved east and settled at the base of the mountains. It was better than the graveyard, but not by much. Food was still scarce but there was plenty of water.

Shenzi yawned and opened her eyes. She raised her head up and looked at Banzai, who was sleeping quietly beside her. She smiled. She and Banzai had been together ever since that fateful night six months ago. Even though they were still rough and tough, they couldn't deny their love for each other.

Shenzi gently licked Banzai and his eyes fluttered open. He raised his head up and nuzzled Shenzi warmly.

"Morning, Shenzi," he said with a smile.

"Good morning," Shenzi said softy, putting a paw on a large scar on Banzai's chest. Today was the anniversary of the fight at Pride Rock and the day Zira nearly killed Banzai. On a lighter note, it was the day Banzai and Shenzi proclaimed their love for each other and defeated their enemy.

The two of them walked out of the small cave that they lived in and discovered that most of their clan was awake and moving about.

"Shenzi, we should call a meeting," Banzai said, scratching behind his ear with his leg.

"Why?" Shenzi asked.

"Don't you hear the complaints?" Banzai asked her. "Everyone wants to go back home."

"That'll never happen." Shenzi shook her head sadly. She looked up at the gray sky and muttered, "Great. Looks like rain again."

Shenzi was right. It stormed that very afternoon, raining hard and thundering loudly. The hyenas were used to storms like this, but they retreated to the caves within the mountains anyway.

As Shenzi and Banzai entered their cave, Ed came up behind them.

"Hey, Ed." Banzai sat down next to Shenzi. "What's up?"

"Nuthin," Ed replied. "Its so boring around here. I wish somethin' would happen."

"Well, why don't cha get a girlfriend?" Shenzi suggested.

Ed looked a little horrified. "No way, man! I'm still too young for that stuff!" With that said, he ran out of their cave.

"I thought he had grown up a bit since he slammed his head on that rock." Banzai snickered. "I guess not."

Shenzi snickered as well and lowered her head into her paws, though she didn't close her eyes. "Everyone's changed a lot since the Pride Rock incident. Ed learned how to speak common savanna tongue, which was a huge surprise. We've changed, too, for the better. Even the clan's changed."

Banzai looked outside and muttered, "I wonder what it's like in the Outlands."

"Who knows?" Shenzi murmured. She said slowly, "But every night I've been having the same weird dream."

"Another dream?" Banzai asked, looking back at her. "What was it about?"

"My mother. She keeps telling me the same thing over and over until I wake up. In the middle of the dream, my father comes in and starts saying the sentence my mother tells me."

"What is it?" Banzai asked, interested.

Before Shenzi could reply, Ed ran back into the cave and said frantically, "Guys, you gotta leave the cave. Mud's comin' down from the mountain an' it's gonna block the entrances."

Banzai and Shenzi quickly got out of the caves and stood with the rest of the hyenas out in the pouring rain.

"Man, this sucks," Banzai said, huddling together with Shenzi.

"Tell me about it," Shenzi said, shuddering. "I hope this clears up by tonight."

"It will, the clouds are moving fast," Banzai said absentmindedly. He blinked and looked at Shenzi. "Why?"

Shenzi grinned and said, "It's our anniversary. We should do something special."

"Like what?" Banzai asked a large smile on his face.

Shenzi opened her mouth to reply when a loud crack of thunder interrupted her, followed by a loud scream. The two turned to see Pyro, a young female, cowering a few feet away, her paws over her eyes in fright.

"Hey, Pyro, you okay?" Shenzi called to her.

"Huh? Oh, Shenzi." Pyro sat up, shaking the water from her unusual red bangs. "I'm okay, just a little freaked."

Shenzi nodded. Pyro's father had been killed by Scar—he had been the one that Scar practically pushed into the opening crack in the ground—and her mother was struck by lightning on the same night. Both Shenzi and Banzai understood how she felt since their parents had been killed by Scar, too. Just thinking about it made Shenzi shudder. Luckily Banzai was there to comfort her, as she was for him.

Ed, who was standing nearby, rolled his eyes as Banzai and Shenzi nuzzled affectionately. He wasn't against their romance, he just found it boring. While they were off on a romantic evening together, he was stuck sitting around doing nothing. Sometimes he wished they could go back to just being friends.

An idea popped into his small mind and a grin creeped onto his face. He crept silently over to a pile of mud and grabbed a paw full. Grinning even wider, he hurled it at Banzai and Shenzi. It smacked Banzai in the back of the head and sprayed all over Shenzi's face.

Ed and Pyro laughed hysterically, pounding their fists on the wet ground. They only laughed harder at the sight of Banzai and Shenzi's angry, mud covered faces. They laughter came to an end; however, when Shenzi and Banzai began pelting them with mud, scoring direct hits.

Soon more mud was flying and the rest of the pack joined in, screaming:

"Mud fight!"


	2. Chapter Two

DarkEcoOttsel: Chapter 2's here! Thank you for reviewing! This chappie contains a HUGE surprise that many of you fans may like. Enjoy!

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**Untainted Souls 3: Back to the Outlands**

**By: DarkEcoOttsel**

Chapter Two

Later that night, the rain had stopped and it had cleared up, just as Banzai said. And that night, Shenzi and Banzai went out for a romantic evening, just as Shenzi said.

"Man, that was great!" Banzai laughed, ignoring the mud dripping down his body.

"Yeah! We should have mud fights more often!" Shenzi snickered, trying to get the mud out of her bangs. "Ugh...I need to wash off before these harden into horns. That would be pretty cool, but it's not me."

"Heh. Hey, there's a pond." Banzai pointed to a large pond just ahead. They quickly washed off and got out of the cold water.

"Look at the sky," Shenzi said, staring up at the cloudless sky. "Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?"

"Yeah," Banzai said, coming up beside her and looking at her. "And I'm standing with her right now."

Shenzi looked back at him and smiled. "Shucks, I'm blushing. You know, Banzai, you can be real romantic when you're not complaining about food or covered in mud."

"Really. Well, how romantic can you be?"

Shenzi smirked and nuzzled Banzai. She whispered in his ear, "I'd show you, but this fic has to stay rated PG." (A/N: That came outta no where.)

"Oh." Banzai smiled widely. "Well, uh, wanna go for a walk?"

"Sure, I'm game," Shenzi agreed.

Together they walked around in the tall grass, just admiring the scenery. The grasslands and hills stood before the huge eastern mountains.

Fireflies burst forth from the grass as the two hyenas ran through it. Banzai laughed happily as he lied back against the cool grass, staring at the fireflies as they drifted around them. Shenzi sat down beside him.

"Doesn't it remind you of home?" Banzai asked quietly.

"Home? You mean the mountains?" Shenzi shrugged as she fell back onto her back as well.

"No, I meant the Outlands." Banzai turned his head to look at her. "Remember how many fireflies would float around? It looked like it was raining stars."

"Yeah." Shenzi smiled a little. "Too bad we can't go back."

"Wha—why not?" Banzai asked her. "I mean, it's been half a year."

"We just can't, okay?" Shenzi rolled over, facing away from him.

"I you ask me, you're scared," Banzai muttered, looking back up at the sky.

"What?" Shenzi quickly rolled over to face him. "Scared? Me?"

"You act tough, but I know otherwise." Banzai turned his head and stared at her.

"Oh, really?" Shenzi snorted.

"Yeah. We've been friends forever and I know when you're scared."

"Feh."

"Shenzi, it's okay to be scared sometimes." Banzai rolled over to face her. "I love you and we shouldn't keep secrets from each other."

"I know...I love you, too," Shenzi said quietly. She looked at him and sighed. "Alright, if you gotta know...I am scared. I'm scared to go back to the Outlands."

"Why?" Banzai asked softly.

"I-it's just that once we go back, I'll have to rule over the Outlands and everyone else."

Banzai could hear the uncertainty in her voice. He said, "Well, you seem to have no trouble taking charge of everyone. Everyone respects you as alpha female."

"Yeah, but there's still the matter of Zira," Shenzi stated. "What if she's still in the Outlands?"

"If she's still there, we'll kick her ass." Banzai smiled.

Shenzi looked tired and thoughtful at the same time.

"You know me and Ed will be there for ya," Banzai said with a small grin.

Shenzi smiled as well as she snuggled closer to Banzai. The two fell asleep under the stars that night and couldn't help but dream of a better future.

&&&

The next day, Shenzi and Banzai called a meeting. Actually, since the rest of the clan was sleeping, it was just with Ed and Pyro.

"What?! You mean we might be able to go home?!" Pyro exclaimed. She had been very little when Scar took over, but she still remembered the Outlands vividly.

"Shut it!" Shenzi whispered. "We're not sure yet."

"What do ya mean?" Ed asked.

"Well, there are different choices," Banzai said. "And hazards. We'll have to go through the Pride Lands to get home _if_ we choose to go back to the Outlands."

"What are our other choices?" Pyro asked in a quieter tone.

"Yeah," Ed said.

"Okay, it's like this: no matter what we do, we can't go in the Pride Lands," Banzai replied.

"Why?" Pyro asked.

"Hell-o! The lions hate us!" Banzai stated. "If we set one paw on their land, they'd kill us."

"Oh."

"Anyway, from what I hear, no one wants to stay here," Banzai continued.

"Yeah," Pyro agreed. "Everyone hates the sucky weather and the rocks. We wanna be anywhere but here."

"Right, so do I." Banzai nodded. "So here's what we could do: we could always go back to the Outlands, but we dunno if Zira's still around."

"Ooh, that could be trouble." Pyro winced. She brightened and said, "Well, what about moving farther east? Y'know, past the mountains?"

"That's a good idea." Banzai smiled and nodded.

"How about goin' west?" Ed suggested.

"We'd have to go through the Pride Lands." Pyro shook her head.

"We could always go around." Banzai pointed out.

"It would take much longer," Pyro said with a sigh.

"We'd have to go around to get back to the Outlands anyway," Banzai stated.

"Well, ask Shenzi," Ed told them. "She's alpha."

Everyone turned to Shenzi.

"Well, what do ya think, Shenzi?" Banzai asked her.

Shenzi, who had zoned out for most of the conversation, blinked and said absentmindedly:

"I think I'm pregnant."


	3. Chapter Three

DarkEcoOttsel: Sorry for the delay. Xoticlightning, as for your statement, they didn't 'do it' the night before, as you'll find out in this chapter. Read on to find out.

**Untainted Souls 3: Back to the Outlands **

**By: DarkEcoOttsel**

Chapter Three 

Banzai's eyes grew so big they nearly popped out of their sockets, Ed's jaw dropped and a look of shock appeared on his face, and Pyro froze, unable to move.

"P-p-pregnant?" Banzai stuttered once the shock wore off. "B-but...how—?!"

"I-I guess it was the one night a while ago in the tall grass—"

"Okay, okay!" Banzai said quickly. "But why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I wasn't sure!" Shenzi told him. She sighed and said quietly, "Maybe we should go talk about this."

"Yeah." Banzai stood up shakily.

After walking a ways away from the mountains, Banzai spoke up quietly.

"So, uh, we're gonna be parents."

"Yes." Shenzi nodded. "I was kinda suspecting it for a while, but I wasn't sure. I asked some of the other females and...well, it turns out that the pup could be coming any day now."

"Wow," Banzai said quietly. So that explains why she's been having mood swings frequently and appeared to be gaining weight. A smile found his way onto his face and he nuzzled Shenzi. "I think it's fantastic."

"Yeah," Shenzi murmured. "But I'm...scared."

Banzai frowned. "Scared?"

"Yeah. I'm scared that our pup will grow up and not be able to live in the Outlands. I don't want him or her to have to move around all the time and not have a true, permanent home. I don't want her to be afraid of the Pride Lands. I want her to be happy and live in her true homeland," Shenzi said. By now, she was near tears.

"So...you want to return to the Outlands?" Banzai slowly translated.

Shenzi sniffed and quickly wiped away a few tears.

"Yes. My mother told me to return to my lands and claim what is mine. My family isn't just you and our pup, its Ed, Pyro and everyone else," Shenzi stated.

"All of us must go back." Banzai nodded. "I don't think anyone would object. You're the alpha and what you say goes."

Shenzi nuzzled Banzai and whispered, "Thanks."

"For what?"

"You can always make me feel more confident," Shenzi replied.

"You know I'll always be here for ya, Shenzi." Banzai smiled.

"Yeah." Shenzi grinned.

&&&

Word spread quickly about the hyenas being able to return to the Outlands. All of the hyenas were very excited and could hardly wait.

"When are we gonna go home?" Ed asked his friends.

"It'll take a while," Banzai stated. "We have to go around, remember?"

"Aww, I still don't see why we can't go through," Pyro growled. "I mean, if we go in small groups and run like hell—"

"It would still be trespassing," Shenzi said darkly. "The lions hate us and wouldn't think twice about killing us."

Pyro gulped.

"Yeah, think about what would happen if we got caught," Banzai said, scratching himself behind the ear.

"Ouch," Ed muttered.

"Right." Pyro sighed. "Around. How long will it take?"

"At least three days."

"Aww, man." Pyro sighed again and hung her head.

"Would you rather stay here?" Shenzi asked her.

"No way, man!" Pyro exclaimed, putting her paws up in defense. "I wanna go home!"

"Good."

"Problem: lions," Ed said. "What if they kick us out?"

"They can't do that!" Banzai stated fiercely. "Those were our lands to begin with! They can't make us leave!"

"Yeah!" Shenzi, Ed and Pyro cried in unison.

"...right?"

"Oy." Shenzi sighed, Ed slapped a paw over his eyes and Pyro shook her head.

"I'm ready to fight for the Outlands if I have to," Pyro stated, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Me too," Ed agreed. He frowned. "What 'bout Zira?"

"Crap, I forgot about her." Pyro shuddered.

"Aww, the old hag's probably dead by now," Banzai said. "And if she ain't, she's probably to old to growl. We could kick her ass easily."

"Hopefully Simba's already taken care of her," Shenzi muttered. Perking up, she shouted, "Well, lets get everyone together! The sooner we leave, the sooner we can get home."

In a matter of seconds, all the hyenas were ready to move.

"Okay then, let's go!" Shenzi shouted from in front of all the hyenas. "Oh, I hope everyone did their business cause we ain't waiting!"


	4. Chapter Four

DarkEcoOttsel: Woo, chapter four's here! BeeKay84, there is a reason why Shenzi just says 'she'. See if you can figure out why. Ehehe.... This'll probably be the last time I update for a while cause I'm going on vacation! Don't worry, I'll be back with more chapters! TTFN!

**Untainted Souls 3: Back to the Outlands **

**By: DarkEcoOttsel **

Chapter Four

A day passed quickly and news of the hyena's movement reached Pride Rock.

Zazu swooped down and landed in front of Kovu and Simba, who were by the waterhole.

"Good morning, sires." the hornbill bowed.

"Morning, Zazu," Kovu said.

"Anything new?" Simba asked him.

"Yes, actually," Zazu answered, looking rather serious. "Hyenas."

"What?!" Simba exclaimed, now becoming very serious.

"Hyenas?!" Kovu stood up, also becoming serious.

"Yes," Zazu continued. "They're moving back to the Outlands, or so I hear."

"Are they in the Pride Lands?" Simba growled.

"No, they're steering clear of the Pride Lands," Zazu stated. "Should I go rally the lionesses?"

After a long pause, Simba replied, "No. If they're not in the Pride Lands, there's no reason to prosecute—"

"But, Simba, what about all the things they did to you as a cub?" Kovu asked. "From what I hear about 'em, they're murderers!"

"What I was going to say was there's no reason to prosecute _yet_," Simba said darkly. "Zazu, I want you to keep an eye on them and alert me immediately if they do anything suspicious."

"As you wish, sire," Zazu said.

"Oh, and don't tell anyone else about this," Simba told him as he flew off.

Kovu turned to Simba and asked, "Why aren't we gonna tell anyone?"

"I don't want anyone to worry," Simba stated. "And knowing Kiara, she'd wanna go after them herself."

The two chuckled and continued drinking, unaware of the pare of eyes watching them.

Kiara pouted. She was going to join her father and husband when she stumbled upon their conversation with Zazu. She was kind of mad that she had been made fun of, but she ignored that and quickly ran back to Pride Rock, nearly colliding with Nala.

"Mom!" Kiara gasped.

"Kiara, what's the rush?" Nala asked with a smile. "What's wrong?"

"I heard dad and Kovu talking," Kiara said. "Mom, you can keep a secret, right?"

"What's wrong?" Nala became concerned.

"Hyenas," Kiara stated. "Mom, promise you won't tell anyone."

"Hyenas?" Nala murmured, her eyes widening. "Oh, dear..."

"Mom!"

"Yes, dear, I promise," Nala said quickly. "Where are they?"

"They're heading back to the Outlands."

"Are they in the Pride Lands?"

"No."

"Okay, uh, thanks, Kiara," Nala said. "I need to think alone."

Kiara nodded and left to rejoin her father and Kovu, leaving Nala alone to think.

_Hyenas? _Nala thought. _So they've finally come back. I wonder if (what were their names?) Banzai, Shenzi and Ed are still alive. God, I hope they're smart enough to stay out of the Pride Lands. I hope..._

&&&

That night there was another terrible storm that caught the hyenas off guard. They were stuck in an open field with no shelter.

"Shenzi, we should really stop and wait out the storm!" Banzai shouted to her as the wind roared around them.

"You wanna get home or what?" Shenzi shouted back.

"We've walked all day." Ed came up on the other side of Shenzi; his fur drenched. "We need sleep."

"Ed's right, we need to keep our strength up," Banzai said. He blinked and said, "Did I just say, 'Ed's right'? Woah!"

"Well, where do you suppose we should go?" Shenzi snapped irritably. "If you see any dry places in this open field, please don't hesitate to tell me!"

"There!" Ed pointed to a large tree that was just visible a few feet away.

Shenzi turned and was about to alert her clan, but they had already seen the tree and had run ahead. Shenzi, Banzai and Ed ran up and discovered that there were dry spots under the tree— the ground shielded from the rain courtesy of the tree's huge branches. Most of the hyenas had already settled down. Ed quickly settled down and went right to sleep and Banzai and Shenzi snuggled down together.

"Hey, Shenzi?"

"Hmm?"

"What if we can't fix the Outlands? I mean, what if they're going to be dead forever?"

"We can fix them."

"How can you be so sure?" Banzai raised his head up to look at his mate.

"Well," Shenzi took a breath. "I...I believe that if a land is ruled by evil, the land becomes evil itself. Vise versa for good."

"But, if that's true, wouldn't the Outlands stay evil since we've been evil for most of our lives?"

"Oho! That is where you are wrong!"

Shenzi and Banzai yiped and backed up against the tree as Rafiki landed in front of them.

"H-hey." Banzai relaxed a bit. "I know you. You're that monkey that kicked butt at Pride Rock."

"Yeah," Shenzi said, recognizing Rafiki as well. "You used some freaky kung-fu moves on our clan and knocked half of them senseless."

"Do not dwell on the past, but the future," Rafiki said with a smile.

Shenzi gasped and stuttered, "M-my father told me that in a dream. How'd you...?"

"I know many things," Rafiki stated. "I know how long this storm will last, I know that the Pride Lands are less than a mile from here, I know your parents—"

"You knew our parents?" Banzai gasped.

"Nope. I _know_ your parents."

"Uh, I hate to burst your bubble, monkey, but our parents are dead," Shenzi said quietly.

"Scar killed 'em a while ago," Banzai added.

"No..."

"Yeah, right in front of us, too," Banzai argued.

"They're alive!" Rafiki exclaimed. "And I can show them to you!"

"Wha—where are they?" Shenzi asked, very excited.

Rafiki took his two hands and touched the two hyenas on their foreheads with his fingers.

"They live in you," Rafiki said quietly. He took their paws and placed them on top of one another.

Banzai and Shenzi simultaneously blinked slowly. Suddenly, while their eyes were shut, a vision flashed through their minds. They gasped and opened their eyes. They turned to the monkey, but he had vanished.


	5. Chapter Five

DarkEcoOttsel: Hey, sorry for the long wait. Here's chapter five. 

Disclaimer: Silly me I almost forgot the disclaimer: I DON'T OWN ANY OF THE LION KING CHARACTERS! PYRO IS MINE!

**Untainted Souls 3: Back to the Outlands**

**By: DarkEcoOttsel  
**

Chapter Five

"You saw a vision, too?" Banzai whispered to Shenzi the next day as they continued their journey.

"Yeah." Shenzi nodded. "My mom and dad were talking to me. They were telling me the same thing that I heard in my dreams."

"Really?" Banzai asked. "What did they tell you?"

"They were speaking in a different language," Shenzi said quietly. "_Fatshe leso lea halalela. Busa le lizwe bo. Lethu busa ngoxoo. Is'khathi siikile. Busa lomhlaba."_

Banzai stared at her, his jaw slack. "Woah! That's the old language of the kings of the past!"

"Really? Do you know what it means?" Shenzi asked, excited.

"My ma and pa told me what it meant in my vision," Banzai said. "_This land of our ancestors is holy. Rule this land. Rule with peace. The time has come. Rule this land." _

Shenzi blinked at him, a little shocked. She began, "So, our parents want us to rule over the Outlands together, right?"

"Yeah." Banzai nodded. "But that's not all. They want us to make peace with the lions."

"But we're from two different worlds," Shenzi said sadly. "And we don't exactly get along either."

"What does it matter?" Banzai looked up at the clear sky. "We may look different on the outside, but we all have a heart."

Shenzi smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Some hearts might be smaller than others, but, hey, they're still there."

"Hey, what're you guys doing?" Pyro came up beside them and grinned. "Reciting a play?"

"Heh, yeah, we are," Banzai said sarcastically with a smile.

"Ooh! Can I be in it?" Ed trotted up to them looking happy.

"We were joking, Ed." Shenzi sighed and smirked. Her smile faded and her ear twitched. "But you can tell me if you've noticed that the hornbill in that tree over there has been following us for the past day."

"Yeah," Ed nodded quickly.

"I was wondering if anyone else noticed," Banzai muttered quietly.

"Should we go get 'im?" Pyro asked.

"Okay, here's the plan," Shenzi said as they quickly formulated a plan. After a few seconds of talking, they put their plan into action.

Pyro began to slowly move towards the back of the moving pack, keeping a careful eye on the hornbill. Shenzi, Banzai and Ed stayed towards the front, figuring that they were the ones being watched closely.

Finally, Zazu, the hornbill that was spying on the hyenas, swooped down from the tree branch and flew over the pack. He squawked as a paw shot out and grabbed his tail feathers.

"Well, hello there." Pyro brought Zazu towards her angry face. "Why have you been spying on us?"

"Hey, Pyro, who is it?" Banzai shouted from the front.

"I dunno—some blue hornbill."

In an instant, Shenzi, Banzai and Ed were in the back with Pyro and the entire clan stopped walking to watch the next events unfold.

Shenzi grinned as she recognized the freaked out bird.

"Well, well, well, Banzai look who we got here." Shenzi snickered.

"He-ey, I recognize him." Banzai smirked. He turned to Ed and asked, "What do you think, Ed?"

Ed began to laugh insanely, putting on his old act.

"It's Mr. Majordomo!" Banzai exclaimed with an evil grin.

"Oh, please don't kill me!" Zazu pleaded, visibly shaken.

"Chill, feather breath," Shenzi ordered. "We just wanna know why you've been following us. Then we'll let ya go."

Zazu looked hesitant, but he said anyway, "King Simba and Kovu know that you're coming back."

After a dramatic pause, Banzai blinked and asked, "Kovu? Who the heck is he?"

"Watch your mouth, hyena!" Zazu snapped, fluttering out of Pyro's grasp. He landed on the ground and continued, "While you cowards were hiding, King Simba had a daughter, killed Zira—"

"Zira's dead?" Shenzi asked, cutting him short.

"Yes, she is."

The entire back erupted into cheers and shouts of joy.

"Woo!" Banzai cried happily. He turned to Shenzi and said, "I told you the old windbag would be dead by now!"

"Thank God!" Shenzi smiled widely.

"I'm so happy for all of you," Zazu muttered. "Now I really must be going."

"Okay. Bye." Banzai waved him off as he high-fived Ed. (A/N: Is that possible?)

"See ya." Shenzi blinked at him.

Zazu stood there and blinked. "Y-you're not going to try and eat me?"

"One: we've already had breakfast. Two: if we were gonna eat ya, we would have already," Shenzi stated. She stared at him and he stared right back at her, a little shocked.

"Look, Zazu, a lot of animals can change in half a year," Banzai told the confused bird. "Now go fly back to Pride Rock and tell everyone how we 'captured' you and nearly 'ate' you."

Zazu stared at the hyenas and saw how heavyhearted they looked. Shaking his head, he took to the air and shouted:

"I only take orders from those at Pride Rock!"

The hyenas grinned, knowing that he wasn't going to tell.

Shenzi turned to Banzai and said, "You can sure pull the guilt act, Banzai."


	6. Chapter Six

DarkEcoOttsel: Weee!! Happy New Year!! Feliz ano Nuevo! Hey, I'm typing in Spanish. Cool, I actually learned something in Spanish class! Sorry, I started rambling again. Here's chapter six and I'm sorry for the long wait, but it's the holidays! Merry Xmas and all that stuff!!

Untainted Souls 3: Back to the Outlands By: DarkEcoOttsel Chapter Six

Shenzi's stomach grew bigger with each passing day. She ate more and more and had frequent mood swings, but Banzai and Ed were there to help her through it.

On the final day of their trip back to the Outlands, Banzai received some horrible news.

"Shenzi, I got some bad news." Banzai walked up to her when the pack had taken a break from walking.

"What is it?" Shenzi became worried.

"W-we can't get back to the Outlands…" Banzai murmured, his ears dropping sadly. "From the angle we've been traveling in, we'd have to cut through the Pride Lands."

Shenzi looked down at the ground and whispered, "I knew it was too easy."

"Tell me you're just having a mood swing."

"Banzai, it's over. Someone's trying to tell us something."

"And who is that 'someone' and what is he trying to tell us?"

"Someone up there is trying to tell us that we aren't meant to return to the Outlands." Shenzi shook her head.

"But what about what your mother said?" Banzai asked. "What about our visions?"

"Well, what are we supposed to do?" Shenzi snapped.

Banzai became silent; thinking. His eyes locked onto hers and he said slowly, "We could always—"

"Oh, no!" Shenzi cut him off. "We are _not_ going through the Pride Lands!"

"But what if we ask permission?"

"How could we do that? We'd have to go through the Pride Lands to ask if it's okay."

Banzai sighed and muttered, "So we're screwed. What are we gonna tell the others?"

"Tell them to pray for a miracle."

&&&

"What? You spoke with them?" Nala asked Zazu back at Pride Rock. Everyone else was either sleeping or hunting.

"Yes." Zazu nodded. "They seemed different in a way. They've changed. They were also very happy to hear that Zira's dead."

"I see. Did they try to eat you?"

"Actually, no. They didn't try to stop me at all."

"That's good." Nala smiled. "I guess they're back in the Outlands by now, huh?"

"Well, as I was flying back, I discovered a problem," Zazu said. "To get back to the Outlands, the hyenas would have to go through the Pride Lands."

"On, no!" Nala gasped. Thinking quickly, she stood up. "Zazu, if Simba asks, tell him I went for a long walk."

"Er, as you wish," Zazu hesitated as he watched Nala run off, wonder what she could be up to.

&&&

Nightfall came and the whole clan was waiting anxiously to get moving again.

"Shenzi?" Banzai came up to her. She was sitting on the ground, her face contorted in pain. "Shenzi!" he ran up to her, very worried.

She raised her head up and muttered, "I'm okay, just a little sick. Must be a pregnancy thing."

"Can you stand?" Banzai asked, still very worried.

"Yeah." She stood up shakily. "I'm not on my death bed, Banzai. I just feel a little nauseous."

"Okay, well, I came to tell you that the clan is waiting to move," Banzai told her. "I'm guessing that our prayers for a miracle went unanswered?"

"Yep." Shenzi nodded sadly. "I guess we better tell them the truth."

The two hyenas turned and were about to leave when a voice rang out:

"Wait!"

Shenzi and Banzai turned around and gasped.

Nala came running up to the stunned hyenas, a small smile on her face.

"Long time no see," she said quietly. "Shenzi and Banzai."

Shenzi squinted hard at the lioness and said slowly, "N…Nala?"

Nala nodded, her smile growing. She stood a few feet away from the two hyenas.

Banzai and Shenzi's pupils visibly shrunk to tiny dots and they began to shout frantically:

"Oh, crap! What did we do _this_ time?!"

"Did we step into the Pride Lands?! Oh, _man_!"

"Please don't murder us!"

"I didn't do it, I was framed!"

"Wait, wait!" Nala cut the spastic couple off. "I'm not here to prosecute. I came to talk."

"Ohh." the two sighed in relief.

"So, uh, what did you wanna talk about?" Banzai asked, once he had relaxed a little.

"You want to get back to the Outlands, right?" Nala asked.

"Duh," Shenzi replied lightly. "But we can't. We'd have to go through the Pride Lands to get there."

"How desperate are you to get back there?" Nala asked suddenly.

"Heh, Nala, I'd give my life to see that the ones I love are back in the Outlands living a good life," Banzai stated.

"Likewise." Shenzi nodded.

Nala smiled and said, "Okay. I can help you."

"What?" Shenzi snorted. "You can get us through without getting in trouble?"

"What are you—the queen or something?" Banzai laughed.

"Well, I'm married to Simba, so…yeah." Nala blinked.

Banzai's jaw dropped and Shenzi's eyes grew bigger.

"Don't freak out!" Nala said quickly. "As I was saying, I owe you."

"You don't have to—"

"No," Nala interrupted. "You helped me and now I'm going to help you. Gather your clan. I'll go with you all the way through the Pride Lands."

"You'd do that for us?" Shenzi asked quietly.

"What are friends for?" Nala asked, catching the two off guard.

"F-friends?" Shenzi whispered the word like she never said it before.

"Yes." Nala said and smiled. "If we hurry, we can get there in less than an hour."

"Right." Banzai nodded.

&&&

"Zazu!" Simba called.

"Yes, sire?" Zazu landed before him.

"Where's Nala?"

"Nala?" Zazu froze. "Er, um, I believe she went for a long walk."

"What? There are hyenas out there!" Simba jumped off Pride Rock and shouted over his shoulder, "Get Kovu and the lionesses!"

Zazu hesitated but nodded. As he flew off to get them, he hoped that Nala knew what she was doing.


End file.
